Crayon container



Patented Apr. 6, 1948 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE:

Joseph A: Bouffard, Garden City, and John G. Greemen, Detroit, Miclr, assignors to Cecil B.

Gates, Detroit, Mich.

. Application May 26, 1945, Serial No. 596,022

5 Claims. 1

Our invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a crayon container adapted for holding crayons, pencils or similar elongated bodies. 7

At the present time it is customary to merchandise crayons in a box or similar container in which the various colored crayons are positioned. The user of the crayons is accorded access to all of the crayons at any time when the container or box is opened, with the result that frequently many different colored crayons are removed from the box at the same time so that they become lost or broken. Also, it is the experience that when a person has access to a number of crayons at one time a disorderly arrangement results because of the removal of many crayons from: the container at the same time.

It is an object of the invention to provide a container of this class so arranged and constructed that a plurality of similar elongated bodies may be positioned within the container and individually removable from the container; but in such a manner that. when one of the crayons or similar articles-is removed from the container, no further removal of the articles may be eiiected until the one removed has been returned to its proper position in the container.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a. container of this class having an outer portion provided with compartments or spaced in which crayons, pencils, or the like may be individually positioned and from which they may be individually selected.

It is another object of the invention to provide in a container of this class an inner and outer part relatively movable so that theindividual crayon or article positioned in the container may be selectively and individually removed.

It is another object of the invention to provide in a container of this class a construction having a relatively removable inner and outer part and provided with. means for preventing relative movement of this part when a crayon or article has been removed from the container.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

It is recognized that various modifications and changes may be made in the details ofstructure illustrated without departing from the invention and it is intended that such variations and changes may be encompassed within the scope g of the claims which make a part hereof.

Forminga part of this specification are drawings in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view'taken on line 1-! of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig.2.

Fig. 4. is a iragmentaryview: similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts in locked position.

The invention comprises an outer shell or part 9 which may be made of any suitable material, but preferably from some transparent material. such as plastic or the like. This shell or'outer housing 9 is provided with a plurality ,of compartments I which open at one side into the interior H of the housing or shell 9. Inserted into the bore ll of the housing 9 is acore or selector l2 which is closed at one end by the cap [3 having the ribs l4 formed thereon. This cap is also provided with an outwardly projecting flange [5 which overlies the compartments It] and serves as a cover or closure therefor. The core I2 is bulged inwardly on one side as at It toprovide the space or housing I1 closedat its upper end by the partition l8- and at its lower end by the end wall I9. Positioned in thishousing is a locking rib or finger 20 having the spherical portion 2| formed at its lower end and pro-. vided with a transversely extended rib 22 intermediate its ends. Projected into a finger 23 is the annularly turned end 24 of a spring 25 which bears against the inner face of the bottom of the housing IT. This finger rests on its lower end on the wall I?! so that the finger is free to rock. The spring normally tends to rock the l2 relatively to the outer housing 9.

Formed in the. flange I5 is an inwardly directed recessor notch 2-9- which, when the member I2 is rotated relatively to the member 9, may be brought successively into registration with the compartments Ill.

In the use of the device, the members 9 and I2 would. be rotated and each time the recess 29 registers with one of the compartments H); the crayon 3B or pencil or the like could be deposited in the compartment I. As this crayon or pencil or the like is moved downwardly in the compartment l0 it will engage and rock radially in wardly the finger 20 so that the finger 20 will clear the inner face of the bore H. When all 'of the compartments have been filled with a crayon Or the like, the user may by rotating the member 12 relatively to the outer housing B'bring the notch 29 into registration with the desired compartment l0 whereupon the crayon. may be dropped or shaken out of compartment Ill.

Before the crayontll is moved out of the compartment ID the locking finger 26 would be in the position shown in Fig. 3. When the crayon or member 30 is removed from the compartment l the-locking finger 29 would move radiallyout that the finger 20 may be moved to unlocking position.

In this way we have provided a simple, economical and compact structure which will serve as a container and be productive of the results and advantages referred to herein, as well as others which may presently not be apparent.

What we claim as new is:

1. A device of the class described for reception of elongated bodies comprising: an outer shell having a central bore and provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart compartments, opening at one side into the bore; a core rotatably mounted in said bore and projecting at one end beyond the end of said bore; a peripheral flange upon the projecting end of said core, overlying and covering the ends of said compartments, said core being rotatable relatively to said shell and having a notch formed in said flange adapted for successive registration with said compartments upon relative rotation of said shell and said bore.

2. A device of the class described for reception of elongated bodies comprising: an outer shell having a central bore and provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart compartments, opening at one side into the bore and each adapted for reception of an elongated body such as a pencil, crayon or the like; a core rotatably mounted in said bore and projecting at one end beyond the end of said bore; a, peripheral flange upon the projecting end of said core, overlying and covering the ends of said compartments, said core being rotatable relatively to said shell and having a notch formed in said flange adapted for successive registration with said compartments upon relative rotation of said shell and said core for passage of a body into and out of the compartment registered with and radially movable means carriedby said core projectable into an empty compartment for preventing relative rotation of said shell and said bore and movable out of preventing position upon insertion of a body into the compartment.

3. A device of the class described, comprising an outer shell having a top and a bottom end and provided with an axially directed central bore; a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart, axially directed compartments on said shell open at the top ends thereof and opening laterally'into said bore and each adapted for reception of an elongated article; a core rotatably mounted in said bore and projecting beyond the top end of said shell; a flange on said core overlying the top end of said shell and forming a closure for the open ends of said compartments, said flange having a notch formed therein adapted. upon relative rotation of said shell and said core, for successive registration with said compartments for passage of an article into and out of the compartment registered with a locking member carried by said core and movable into re'gis tration, successively, with a lateral opening in said compartments and projectable into the compartment, upon removal of the article therefrom, for preventing relative rotation of said core and the saidshell; and spring means for normally urging said locking member outwardly into a compartment, said locking member being engageable with an article placed in the compartment and moved by said article into non-lockin position.

A 4. A device of the class described, comprising: a pair of members concentrically arranged and one positioned Within the other and relatively rotatable to each other one of said members having a plurality of axially directed circumferentially spaced apart compartments formed therein opening at one side and the other of said members serving as a closure for said open side, said compartments extending to the end of the membar in which formed and open at said end; and a closure for said open end carried by the other of said members and having a notch formed therein adapted for successively registering with the compartment upon relative rotation of said members, each of said compartments being adapted for reception of an elongated article; and spring actuated means carried by said other member and movable into one of said compartments, upon removal of the article therefrom, for preventing relative rotation of said members and i i retaining such compartment in registration with said notch, said preventing member being movable, through engagement with an article placed in the compartment, out of position in said compartment and leaving said members free for relative rotation.

5. A device of the class described, comprising: a. pair of members concentrically arranged and one positioned within the other and'relatively rotatable to each other one of said members having a plurality of axially directed circumferentially s p a c e d apart compartments formed therein opening at one side and the other of said members serving as a closure for said open side, said compartments extending to the end of the member in which formed and open at said end; and a closure for'said open end carried by the other of said members and having a notch formed therein adapted for successively registering with the compartment upon relative rotation of said members, each of said compartments being adapted for reception of an elongated article; and'spring actuated means carried by said other member and movable into one of said compartments, upon removal of the article therefrom, for preventing relative rotation of said members and retaining such compartment in registration with said notch, said preventing member being movable, through engagement with an article placed in the compartment, out of position in said compartment and leaving said members free for relative rotation; and means for preventing relative axial movement of said members.

JOSEPH A. BOUFFARD. JOHN G. GREEMEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the V file of this patent:

UNITED s'rA'rEs PATENTS Name 7 

